Kingston runs on UTC−5 (EST) every day of the year, with no daylight saving time.
Kingston and your time
Kingston at a glance
| Country | Jamaica |
|---|---|
| Region | Kingston |
| Capital of | Jamaica |
| Time zone | America/Jamaica |
| Abbreviation now | EST |
| UTC offset now | UTC−5 |
| Daylight saving time | Not observed since 1983 |
| Coordinates | 18.00° N, 76.79° W |
Which time zone Kingston uses
Kingston follows the America/Jamaica time zone and stays on UTC−5 all year. Clocks here last changed for daylight saving time in 1983; the tz database lists no change after that.
As the capital of Jamaica, Kingston shares one clock with the whole country.
Clock changes in Kingston, 2026 and 2027
No clock changes are scheduled in Kingston for 2026 or 2027.
Time difference between Kingston and other cities
Take 9:00 AM in Kingston: the clock reads 2:00 PM in London, 1:00 AM (next day) in Sydney and 6:00 AM in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | Same time | Same time | 1 h ahead | 8 h |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 3 h behind | 3 h behind | 2 h behind | 5 h |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 3 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 6 h ahead | 6 h ahead | 7 h ahead | 2 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | 9 h ahead | None |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 10 h 30 min ahead | 10 h 30 min ahead | 10 h 30 min ahead | None |
| Singapore | --:-- | 13 h ahead | 13 h ahead | 13 h ahead | None |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | 14 h ahead | None |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 16 h ahead | 16 h ahead | 15 h ahead | None |
| UTC | --:-- | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 5 h ahead | 3 h |
Because Kingston keeps one offset all year, any change in the gap comes from the other city’s daylight saving time. Compare the January and July columns.
Shared office hours is the part of a 9 AM to 5 PM local working day that both cities have in common. Weekends are not taken into account.
Sunrise and sunset in Kingston
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Close to the equator, days in Kingston last between 11 hours 3 minutes and 13 hours 13 minutes, so evenings get dark at about the same time all year.
Daylight through the year in Kingston
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:11 AM | 6:18 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:33 AM | 6:45 PM | 13 h 13 min |
| September equinox | September 22 | 5:56 AM | 6:03 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| December solstice | December 21 | 6:34 AM | 5:37 PM | 11 h 3 min |
Clock time and sun time in Kingston
Clock time and sun time line up fairly well in Kingston: solar noon falls at about 12:05 PM on standard time.
Cities near Kingston
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Town | 17 km (11 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Santiago de Cuba (Cuba) | 247 km (154 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Palma Soriano (Cuba) | 260 km (162 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Manzanillo (Cuba) | 263 km (163 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Bayamo (Cuba) | 265 km (165 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Guantánamo (Cuba) | 291 km (181 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
Same time now, different rules
These places read the same time as Kingston today but follow different rules, so they can drift apart when clocks change.
- New York (United States)
- Toronto (Canada)
- Havana (Cuba)
- Port-au-Prince (Haiti)
- Indianapolis (United States)
- Detroit (United States)
Tools for time in Kingston
- Convert a time to or from Kingston: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Kingston to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Kingston and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Kingston in?
Kingston uses the America/Jamaica time zone, which is UTC−5 (EST) all year.
Does Kingston use daylight saving time?
Not any more. Kingston last changed its clocks for daylight saving time in 1983 and now stays on UTC−5 all year.
What is the time difference between Kingston and London?
Kingston is 5 hours behind London in January and 6 hours behind London in July, because London moves its clocks for daylight saving time and Kingston does not.
How long is the longest day in Kingston?
About 13 hours 13 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 11 hours 3 minutes of daylight.
Time zone rules: IANA tz database, version 2026e. Place names and coordinates: GeoNames. Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the coordinates and can differ by a minute or two from local almanacs.